[Coral-List] New MPA in Northeastern Haiti Declared

[Jean Wiener]

*Fondation pour la Protection de la Biodiversité Marine*

*(FoProBiM)*

*www.foprobim.org* <http://www.foprobim.org/>

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Creation of a New Marine Protected Area in
Northeastern Haiti*

*Port-au-Prince, Haïti*

*January, 2014 *



On Wednesday, December 11, 2013 the Haitian government published the
creation of Haiti’s second Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the official
journal, *Le Moniteur*.  The new MPA is hereby called the “*Parc des Trois
Baies et des Lagons aux Bœufs *(The Three Bays and Lagons aux Bœufs Park)”
and is located in Northeastern Haiti.  This new protected area encompasses
an area of close to 90,000 hectares (900 sq.km.) and includes the bays of
*Limonade*, *Caracol*, and *Ft*. *Liberté*, as well as the *Lagon aux Bœufs*.




“As with the designation of the new protected area in the southwest in
August, we once again applaud the Haitian government’s move to protect our
natural resources.  This designation is yet another critical step forward
as Haiti renews its commitment to protect its critical coastal and marine
ecosystems,” stated Jean Wiener, Director of the* Fondation pour la
Protection de la Biodiversité Marine (FoProBiM) *in Haiti.  “We now need to
undertake serious actions to ensure the complete commitment of local
stakeholders to actively participate in the *Parc’s *management.  We must
also ensure an increased engagement of all national stakeholders, the
government, and our international partners to actively participate in the
protection and sustainable management of the resources within this
important area.”



FoProBiM undertook the outlining of the original park boundaries in 2000,
an ecosystem valuation exercise for the area in 2009 and a re-evaluation in
2013 for the Organization of American States/Department of Sustainable
Development (OAS/DSD), has just finished research on local sea turtles and
manatees with UNEP CAR-SPAW and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
(NFWF), is undertaking the development of a Locally Managed Marine Area
(LMMA) with the Critical Ecosystems Partnership Fund (CEPF), has just
completed the area’s first rapid coastal/marine/riverine bio-inventory, and
actively participated in the preparation of the legal framework and final
establishment of the present park boundaries to help bring about this
important designation.



Hopefully the Arcadins, Baraderes, and Rochelois Marine Parks will also
soon be created.  These areas were also initially surveyed and outlined by
FoProBiM in 2000 and it is currently undertaking various research
activities nation-wide in order to provide a better understanding of the
need to protect these vital ecosystems.



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Founded in 1992 the *Fondation pour la Protection de la Biodiversité Marine
(FoProBiM)* is Haiti’s only coastal and marine environmental organization..
It is an apolitical, non-governmental, non-profit organization founded and
headquartered in Haiti and was officially recognized by the Haitian
government in 1995 as a foundation working on environment issues in the
areas of sustainable development, education, research, monitoring, and
advocacy.

          As one of Haiti’s oldest environmental organizations, and one of
the very few with a 100% full-time dedicated staff, FoProBiM’s mission
includes: (i) raising awareness concerning needed changes in regulations
and attitudes concerning the environment; (ii) increasing knowledge and
capabilities at the government, community and individual levels in order to
make sustainable improvements in the environment and the lives of people,
and; (iii) conducting educational programs as well as scientific research,
including environmental monitoring, in order to promote improved management
of the environment and the protection of biodiversity through a better
understanding of the need to sustainably use environmental resources.

          FoProBiM is Haiti’s only IUCN member and the National Focal Point
in Haïti for: IUCN – The World Conservation Union (World Commission on
Protected Areas, Marine; Commission on Ecosystem Management; Transboundary
Conservation Specialist’s Group); the International Coral Reefs Initiative
(ICRI); WIDECAST; and the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN)
among others.  It has also acted as the primary consultant for coastal and
marine resources for the preparation of Haiti’s National Environmental
Action Plan (NEAP) and undertaken a wide variety of projects for
institutions as varied as the IDB, UNEP, UNDP, OAS, the Critical Ecosystem
Partnership Fund (CEPF), Whitley Fund for Nature, the Haitian Ministry of
Environment, and the US Departments of Agriculture (IITF – International
Institute of Tropical Forestry), State, Commerce (NOAA: NMFS, CCFHR, OIA),
and Interior (USFWS) to name but a few.

Contact: Jean Wiener, jeanw at foprobim.org

                                     www.foprobim.org





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